TAMARAC, FLA. (WSVN) - A Tamarac mother received the perfect present this holiday season with the help of the Broward Sheriff’s Office.
For Ann Myers that special gift wasn’t received under a Christmas tree but was having her youngest son Army Sgt. Greg Hardy back home in her arms.
“Half of Christmas Day had already left, and he didn’t show up, so I was like, ‘Yeah, I’m not going to see Gregory,'” said Meyers.
But then there was a knock at her door.
“You know, ‘This is Broward Sheriff’s Department,’ and I’m like, ‘Ugh, yeah?’ and they were like, ‘There was a robbery at the community center,'” said Myers.
Video provided by the department showed Greg Hardy embracing his mother on Christmas Eve.
He had been serving overseas on a two-year deployment in South Korea.
“This year I thought I really wasn’t going to be able to make it, but when they said, ‘Hey, your leave got approved so looks like your going home.’ I was like, ‘What? No way, really?'” said Hardy. “I was like all right, I gotta go big or go home, and I couldn’t go home in this way.”
It was some planning amongst siblings and a little help from BSO deputies, a Christmas wish came true this year.
“The next thing I know, I was on an almost 24-hour flight back home,” said Hardy.
“Yeah, it was worth it,” said Myers. “It was amazing for me, it was. I was glad to have him home because South Korea is far.”
Hardy said it was worth every penny.
“I always expected her to be excited but I never expected her to break down like she did,” he said.
And a simple reminder after all the craziness so far this year:
“Cherish the ones you love,” said Myers.
“Nothing can replace human touch, like, you know, you might get to see your loved ones over Zoom, you might get to see them on call, but when you get that hug it’s a little bit different, you know,” said Hardy. “Nothing can describe you know, feeling especially your warm mother embrace, the ones who’ve seen you grow up. Nothing into something, and I don’t think I can ever replace that.”
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